According to the Rutland Herald, students in Middletown Springs, Vermont, recently received netbooks as part of a Vermont Council on Rural Development partnership with the educational nonprofit Digital Wish to improve technology access in the state's schools. Overall, the project will improve technology access in 24 towns in Vermont and is jointly funded by a U.S. Department of Commerce stimulus grant, Dell, Microsoft and Comcast.
Access to technology in the classroom, like a netbook, document camera or
DLP projector, introduces students to new learning tools they may not have experienced yet, but it also makes the classroom a more inviting place. Many students are comfortable with technology in recreational aspects of their lives, and integrating technology in the classroom makes school a less alienating place, especially for young students.
"This is a world students face at home, in the future and for jobs," Eric Bird, lead trainer and peer coach for Digital Wish, told the source. "These are necessary skills and tools that are applicable to the world they live in."
Teachers say that the netbooks have significantly improved student engagement, which will ultimately lead to teachers' ability to develop more effective and comprehensive lesson plans.
